Wine, Chocolate, and the Other Things
by Moniposa
Summary: When Bella and Lovino meet in the rain, sparks are sure to fly. But will their families approve of the feelings they harbor towards each other?
1. When Fate Bound Us

Bella remembered the first time they met. On the streets, wasn't it? He was trying to get home since it was pouring so hard and he wanted a taxi. She was on her way home too since it was already getting dark and wanted a taxi too. Oddly enough, they had ended up wanting the same taxi and argued over it, telling one another that they should get on; they were getting soaked as it was. Turned out they had to walk home, the taxi driver getting impatient with their indecisiveness. He was gorgeous of course; honey colored eyes and brown hair with a curl coming out of the side of his hair. Bella didn't catch his name, but they walked together, both getting soaked and singing the tune, "Singing in the Rain." And all the fun ended when she had to part from him and Bella had forgotten to ask his name, and he didn't ask her either.

She went and closed up her shop. She was a chocolatier and made different types of confections for everyone, milk chocolate, dark chocolate, anything that was sweet and she could make. It was family owned with her two brothers, but her youngest brother left them to look over the shop without a second glance. So, she and her older brother had taken care of everything. Bella lived right next to the shop so she could go between the two places with ease

As she went to her house, she sighed, going upstairs to the balcony. Bella sat down at the edge since there was no fence or anything to hold someone safe on the ledge, but she didn't mind, she liked it like that. Her eyes went directly to the sky like it always did and she saw the different hues of purple, orange, and red paint the skies.

Bella was suddenly broken out of her reverie when she noticed a voice was yelling below and awfully loud too. She looked down and noticed a young man was looking up at her, waving his hands frantically. She tuned her ears in.

"Hey, you should get down from there! It's dangerous you know!"

Bella's heart stopped. That voice was so familiar.

She lost her balance and went tumbling from the two-story building. She squeezed her eyes shut and waited for the impact but instead felt arms cradling her.

"Mio di Dios, you almost scared me to death," The man said relieved.

Bella simply stared at him. Up close, he looked like an angel. She blinked and blushed furiously, aware of how close he was. "I-I know you, don't I?"

He looked at her and smiled. "Yes, the one I sung in the rain with."

Bella wrung her hands. "Do you think you could put me down? I'm pretty sure I'm fine."

The man quickly complied and set her down. She brushed off her clothes and glanced at him. They both stood across each other, both of them not saying a word. Bella decided to start off.

"I don't think we've formally introduced ourselves," She flustered, the only thought to pop into her head.

The man simply laughed and took Bella's hand. "Lovino. Lovino Vargas. At your service." He kissed her hand.

Bella flushed and slipped her hand from his grasp. "My name is Bella Janssens." She murmured.

"Well, Bella. Now that we know each other's names, it'd only be polite to invite you for coffee, right?" Lovino studied her carefully.

The girl nodded slowly; the shop was closed and she really needed a coffee. "Sure, why not?" She responded, following the young man through the plaza.

The plaza had been there for centuries, rock and stone making u surrounding buildings like the cathedral and it was also surrounded by more modern buildings of business and dainty, family-owned gift shops and the latter. But what made the whole plaza look like a dream was the intricate water fountain that was the center of the whole place. In the middle of the fountain was a woman wrapped in a wave-like material, and there was a serene look on her face, almost as if she were a goddess of the water fountain which was named Liefde en geluk; Love and Luck. She had been there for centuries, age not doing well on the woman.

The couple entered a small coffee shop and sat down at a table across from each other. After a man came and asked for their orders, they quietly looked at each other. Lovino this time decided to break the silence.

"I'm sorry I didn't ask your name the last time we met." He smiled apologetically and cocked his head to the sided.

Bella held out her hands as if to block the apology. "No, not at all! I should be saying that. I was so distracted," She laughed.

Lovino's eyes searched hers. "I see . . . I haven't seen you around here yet I've been living here for years. How come?"

Bella was wondering the same thing. "Well, I suppose I've lived my whole life in that chocolate shop that I've haven't gotten out often." She twirled a strand of her short blond hair.

"Really? But I'm sure you must've had a boyfriend before, no?" Lovino seemed at ease.

Bella blushed and shook her head. "No, my brother is really overprotective." She laughed softly.

"Hm." Lovino leaned back into his chair, seeming bothered. Bella was an interesting creature. She seemed to radiate innocence and virtue; none of the things that were in the other women he had dated. Her short, wavy blond hair formed like a halo, and her green eyes always darted around, wanting to take in details of the world. A very interesting woman.

"So I'm assuming you have family around here?" The waiter had already brought the drinks and Bella sipped hers carefully.

Lovino looked at his drink and stirred it. "I do actually. A younger brother and my foster father."

"Have I met them before?"

"I'm sure you have; my brother is Feliciano and my father is—"

"Antonio?" Her eyes looked at his questioningly.

Lovino blinked rapidly, taken aback. "Yes. How did you know?"

Bella gave him a reassuring smile as she drank some more. "Well, he and my brother are always at each other's necks, I can't say I'm proud of it, but what can you do?" she shrugged.

Lovino gazed at her thoughtfully. This seemed to be getting very interesting. He glanced at his watch. "It seems to be getting late, shouldn't you be going home?"

Bella turned to the clock in the shop and set down her drink. "You're right; I should be going," She stood up. "I really appreciate you saving me back there. "She pointed in the general direction of the shop.

Lovino left some money on the table and stood up. Bella seemed to be taken aback.

"You really don't need to take me home." She blushed and her hands fluttered to his chest. He grabbed her hands and held them.

"No, I insist. I wouldn't want anything happening to you on the way."

Bella looked down and tried to clear her head; he was just a—a demanding presence! It was like the whole room was directed to his attention. "Alright," She simply replied.

They left the shop and began to walk home, stars already adorning the sky. Bella wanted to look at them like she always did, but she didn't want to make a fool out of herself if she crashed into something. The pair filled the warm air with idle chitchat, talking about things of no consequence. When they reached Bella's house, the talking abruptly ended.

"I'd really like to see you again," Lovino told her, smiling.

Bella contemplated this for a moment; she'd danced and sung in the rain with this man, had coffee with him and talked like there was no tomorrow. But what if this was all a dream? It seemed to perfect that this man was standing in front of her, asking to see her again.

Even if it was a dream, she was going to dive in headfirst, not caring about what would happen after.

She gave Lovino a peck on the cheek and smiled brightly at him. "Yes, I'd like that very much." And she went into her house. When she shut the door, she sunk to the ground and covered her mouth, blushing. She really liked him, and she secretly hoped he felt the same way. It would make her heart swell if that was true.

Lovino stood at the door in shock. Not many women made that quick of an advance, but that was what made Bella different from the others. He was incredibly happy on the inside and he really liked this girl. He just hoped that this brother and father wouldn't be so taken with her as he was. Lovino made his way home and whistled while he walked.

Bella got up from the floor and made her way to the kitchen; she really needed a glass of water. Just as she was about to drink her water, a voice came out of nowhere.

"So, who was that Bella?"

Bella turned around towards the sound of the voice and put a hand on her chest, feeling as if her heart was about to burst.

"Neddy, you scared me!" she chastised him.

Ned simply rolled his eyes and sat at the table in the kitchen. "You didn't answer my question."

Bella stuck her tongue out at him and sat down at the table. "He's just a friend."

Neddy laughed. "Then what was up with that peck on the cheek? Didn't seem very 'friend-like' to me."

Bella looked down at her glass and blushed. "That's none of your business," She muttered.

Neddy spread his hands out on the table. "Hey, don't blame me if you get your heart broken."

She stared at her older brother. What was he saying? Lovino's a gentleman; he'd never do that. "What do you mean?"

Her brother's eyes glanced at something on the wall, not wanting to meet her eyes. "Well, I've seen the likes of him, always changes girls like he changes clothes."

The blond girl shook her head, refusing to believe her brother's words. She got up and put her cup in the sink. Her back was to him. "I'm going to bed. Goodnight."


	2. Meeting the Family

The next day, Lovino showed up at her house around midday as Bella was taking a small break from work.

"Are you busy?" Lovino asked her cheerily. Bella's house and her shop were one of many surrounding the plaza.

Bella came out of her house and lead him next door to the chocolate shop. She called out to a young man at the counter talking to a young lady with red ribbons in her hair.

"Hey Neddy, could you cover for me? I have to go do something important."

The blonde man turned to look at the Italian at his sister's side and his eyes narrowed. "Bella, didn't we have this conversation—"

"Thanks! I really owe you one!" Bella quickly cut him off and rushed out of the store with her company before he could say anything else.

They went to the Love and Luck fountain, both running out of breath. The young lady quickly recovered herself and looked at Lovino. She smiled. "Now I'm not busy."

The Italian gave her a sly smile and laughed. "Very slick, Ragazza. Anyway, I was wondering if you could run a few errands with me."

Bella's heart dropped. "Errands? You want me to run errands with you?"

Lovino quickly noticed her dissatisfaction and tried to make up the said error. "But it'll be fun and I have plans for us afterwards; don't worry about it." He looked at her with pleading eyes.

The blond lady slowly agreed, not sure what to make out of this situation. It could be a date but how could she know? She didn't know the male mind.

They began to walk in the direction of the cake shop, a frilly little place the color of strawberries. When they went inside, the girl quickly went to see the cakes that were displayed behind glass. They all looked delicious; Angel Food Cake with its bright red berries and whipped cream, Babka that had swirls of chocolate in the shape of a loaf, Bombe in the form of a chocolate-covered dome, Coconut cake that had seven layers of a light yellow and white color, and many others. It all looked extremely delicious.

But there was one cake that caught her attention.

Even though it looked plain from a distance, it was always delicious.

"See anything delicious to you?" Lovino gestured around the whole shop.

"To me? But I thought we were running errands for you?" Her hands were pressed against the glass in front of the cakes.

"Yes, but it wouldn't hurt getting one for you," He smiled warmly at her as he stood beside her. "Which one would you like? The Sachertorte? Or maybe the Tennessee Canasta Cake." He gestured towards the chocolate-covered confections.

Bella simply shook her head. "Sir. Could I have this cake please?" She called over the young man running the shop and pointed to the plain cheesecake that was sitting there among the other cakes.

The man looked at her, flustered that the pretty young lady wanted that plain cake. "Are you sure? I mean, we have Marjolaine—"

Bella cut him off unintentionally as she beamed at him. "I'm completely sure, thank you."

The man muttered an okay, and gave her the cake in a white box with a simple green string holding the box together. Bella was very happy.

The pair walked out of the shop, Lovino leading them to their next adventure.

"Hey Bella, why'd you pick the cheesecake out of all the other cakes?" He looked at her, curiosity in his eyes.

"Well, I love cheesecake and it tastes delicious with Sauternes." She smiled warmly at him. The prospect of having cake made her feel very happy.

He blinked at her, surprised. He hadn't of known that. Lovino had almost all of the wines in the world, and tried them with many combinations of pastries, but he had never considered it with cheesecake. He really liked this girl. A lot.

They continued on their errands, having even more fun than the last. They went to get ingredients to make pasta, and had even gotten some funny hats and mustaches for no apparent reason. The final stop on their adventure was Lovino's house. The Italian man opened the door and announced that he was home with some company. Immediately, two men sprang out and made their way to the door.

"Ciao beautiful girl!" One of the men sang with a similar curl in his hair like Lovino's. This must be Feliciano, Bella thought. He was even more cheery than his older brother.

"Good evening," The other man told her cheerily. It was Antonio.

Bella couldn't help but reply to the two men. "Good evening! I'm very happy that you've welcomed me so warmly!" She smiled in delight, a happy blush covering her face.

Feliciano and Antonio looked at her for a second and showered her with hugs.

"Fratello, why didn't you tell us that she was so adorable~" Feliciano chanted, hugging her from behind.

"Si! She's too cute!" Antonio chanted with Feliciano, hugging her from the front.

"Um," Bella simply murmured, not accustomed to being in the middle of a Latin sandwich.

Lovino was able to pull her out of the sandwich and put her behind him. He looked angry. "I didn't tell you guys because I knew you'd react this way! Pull yourselves together, you guys look like a bunch of idiots," He spouted at them, smacking the men on their heads.

"We're sorry." They said in unison. If they had dog ears and tails, they would've been down in shame.

Bella laughed and tugged of Lovino's sleeve. "It's okay; you don't have to be so hard on them."

Lovino let out his breath and pushed his hair to the side. "But if I don't tell them something they'll immediately go—"

Feliciano and Antonio's metaphorical ears and tails perked up when they heard Bella saying it was fine and they immediately went to their previous positions of cuddling the blond girl.

"—like that." Lovino finished on a frustrated note, not being able to pull Bella out of the sandwich this time.

"Your girlfriend is so cute~" The men sang, continually hugging her.

Bella turned to see Lovino's expression. His face immediately flushed in embarrassment and he looked at his family desperately.

"She-she's not my girlfriend! Why would you guys say that?!" Lovino went over to the hugging trio.

Antonio and Feliciano looked at each other and looked at Lovino seriously. "This is the first time you've actually brought someone home, and you seem happier than normal." Antonio responded, not letting go of his hold on the girl.

"I agree, I never liked the other girls you went out with," Feliciano teased his brother.

Lovino flushed and searched desperately to change the subject. "Feliciano, I brought some ingredients for pasta—"

Feliciano immediately let go of the girl. "Did you say pasta? Pasta~" He went over to the bag to search for the food. Lovino knew he loved pasta more than cute girls.

"And I brought you some tomatoes Antonio." Lovino pointed in the direction where Feliciano was looking through the bag.

"Tomatoes?" He immediately let go of the girl and went to look through the bags with Feliciano.

Lovino let out his breath and walked over to Bella. "Are you okay?"

"Yes, I'm fine. Just a little messed up. They're too sweet," Bella smiled at Lovino as she brushed her hair with her fingers.

Lovino let out a relieved chuckle. "Well, I'm relieved."

The four of them had made the pasta and ate it all, talking ecstatically and laughing, always laughing. Then it was off to dessert. The three men were a little disappointed to find out that it was cheesecake.

"Now now," Bella chastised them. "Cheesecake is very delicious, but the flavors are even more enhanced with this." She pulled out the Sauternes and put it on the table

"Wow, this is a very good wine." Feliciano took the wine and looked over it.

"But, it tastes even more delicious with the cheesecake; try it!" Bella gave them a reassuring smile.

The men took a slice of cheesecake with the wine and hey enjoyed it completely; never had they tasted anything like this.

"It's delicious!" They chanted in unison.

Bella simply laughed.

After dessert, Lovino and Bella went outside to go take her home.

"Come back again!" Feliciano called after Bella.

"Yes, and next time I'll make churros!" Antonio waved his hand in the pair's general direction.

As they were walking through the plaza, they stopped by the fountain of Love and Luck and they sat down on the ledge. Lovino began to fidget with his hands and Bella twirled her finger in the water.

"Listen, about what happened earlier," Lovino looked at Bella.

"About what?" She glanced at him.

"You know, the girlfriend thing . . . "

Bella laughed. "Oh that? Don't worry about it!" She gave him a reassuring smile. "But I wish it was real though . . ." She muttered under her breath. She sighed.

Lovino had turned to look at the fountain but then immediately glanced at the girl sitting beside him. "You wish it to be reality?"

Her eyes widened and she flushed from head to toe. "N-no no, that's not what I meant—"

Lovino grasped her face and kissed her passionately, Bella responding after a few seconds of shock.

They both separated, breathless. Bella looked down at her hands. "I like you a lot you know." she smiled gently.

He put his forehead against hers. "Then that makes two of us," He laughed in relief. He may have dated other girls, but she was different. Kind, outgoing, and his family loved her. "And I want you to be mine and no one else's." He whispered.

"That's okay; I was yours the minute we sang in the rain." She replied, a glow settling onto her.

And they both stayed like that, enjoying each other's company and feelings. It was all too perfect. Like wine, chocolate and the other things.


End file.
